Too Big for Your Wallet: TV makers keep developing new technologies to improve color accuracy and brightness, even on the largest screens. One popular approach focuses on extremely tiny backlight units, with Samsung spearheading what could become a noteworthy upgrade for wealthy home media enthusiasts.
After teasing it at CES 2025, Samsung has officially announced what it calls the world's first Micro RGB TV. "Micro RGB" is the commercial name the Korean giant has chosen for its new backlight technology, which promises significant improvements in both brightness levels and color accuracy.
Samsung compared Micro RGB with traditional Mini LED backlighting, which uses an array of small white or blue LED units to illuminate images on an LCD TV. In contrast, its proprietary Micro RGB technology uses an ultra-fine pattern of individually controlled red, green, and blue micro LEDs – each less than 100 micrometers (one-millionth of a meter) in size.
Thanks to Micro RGB's capabilities, the new TV can precisely control each RGB LED and achieve 100 percent coverage of the ITU-R Recommendation BT.2020 specifications.
Commonly known as Rec. 2020 or BT.2020, this internationally recognized standard defines color accuracy for both standard dynamic range (SDR) and high dynamic range (HDR) modes. Samsung says the new Micro RGB TV is the first in the industry to reach this level of accuracy.
Taeyong Son, Executive Vice President and Head of the R&D Team of the Visual Display Business at Samsung Electronics, said the new TV will "raise the bar" for color accuracy and contrast in consumer displays – an interesting way to describe a 115-inch TV costing tens of thousands of dollars. Son added that Micro RGB will set a new standard in large, ultra-premium TVs, though that remains to be seen.
Samsung isn't alone in pursuing microscopic RGB LED technology for a more lifelike television experience. Other manufacturers, including Sony and Hisense, are developing their own versions. However, Samsung is the first to claim 100 percent coverage of the BT.2020 range.
Additional features of Samsung's first Micro RGB TV include a refresh rate of 120Hz that can reach "up to" 144Hz, a 4K display with 3,840 × 2,160 pixels, Glare Free technology to minimize reflections, HDR10+ support, and more. Audio comes from a 70-watt 4.2.2-channel speaker system with Dolby Atmos support. Connectivity options include four HDMI 2.0 ports, two USB-A ports, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth.
In true 2025 fashion, Samsung has also integrated "AI" features into its next-gen TV. The core is the "Micro RGB AI" engine, which uses AI models to finely control the backlight and optimize color output in real time. There's also Samsung Vision AI, which offers a "click to search" function, powered by Bixby, that provides contextual information about whatever is on screen.
Samsung's Micro RGB TV will debut first in South Korea with a price tag of KRW 44.9 million (around $32,000). It will launch in the US for a suggested $30,000, with a wider global rollout expected to include additional Micro RGB models in various, and hopefully more affordable, screen sizes.
Samsung is bringing the first Micro RGB giant TV to the market for a mere $32,000
